This is it.

Storm's POV

It would seem that everyone is bent on keeping Aster and I separated until we get on that train home. That, right now, is the only thing I'm looking forward to.

One more time in the makeup chair. One more time putting on ridiculous clothing, and then we're on the train. That's what I keep telling myself.

The night of the crowning ceremony, we all eat dinner together. We sit at a giant table with tons of food, but they're only five of us – Aster and I plus Camellia and Acada and Merelda.

"We have a surprise for you two!" Camellia practically squeals. Oh, here it comes. They're going to bring out, like, all the heads of the people that Aster and I ruthlessly killed. And the heads are going to be on a platter. A silver platter. With an apple stuck in –

"Dad?" Aster says cautiously. I look up.

There they are. "Mom! Dad!" I yell, running to hug them. I don't care if I'm fifteen. I've been through the Hunger Games, and I wanna freaking see my parents.

"I was so worried about you," Dad whispers in my ear. "I knew you'd pull through, but I was so worried. I know what the Games did to me."

"I'm okay, Dad," I whisper back. "Promise." I hug my mom, and then I see Calla.

"Hey," I smile.

She runs and gives me the biggest hug known to mankind. "I missed you, doofus! You've been gone for like a month and all I get is a 'hey'? Not acceptable."

Aster's POV

"Dad?" Am I hallucinating? I look to Storm, but no, he's looking at my dad, too. Dad smiles, and that's all I need. My chair topples over as I race to hug him.

I execute – perfectly, I might add – a flying leap right into my father's outstretched arms. "Daddy," I whisper. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, Little Flower. More than you could ever imagine," he tells me.

"I kept the necklace. I kept it on the whole time. I never took it off, not once, not for anything. With it on, I felt like you were with me the whole time."

Storm's POV

After the giant hug-fest, I turn to Aster and her parents. Dinner is so overrated right now.

"We thought you two might want to go home a little bit early, so we arranged for the train to pick you up tonight," Camellia says happily. "I'll miss you, but I'll see you again real soon, okay?" Aster and I both hug her.

"Ready to go?" Dad asks.

"Would you want to get out of a place that gives you horrible memories twenty-four-seven?"

"Let's go," he says, grinning ruefully.

We do nothing but talk the entire train ride home. We laugh, my mom cries, Aster's mom cries, but one thing stuck in my head. Right before we get off of the train, back in District 12, Aster's father taps me on the shoulder.

"Sir?" I ask politely.

"Thank you. For taking care of her," he says sort of gruffly, but I can see the sentiment behind his words.

"To be honest, she took care of me for the most part," I grin.

"But still, you're one of the bravest men I know." Whoah. Look who just graduated to man-hood.

"Thank you, sir." And then he's gone. Just like that.

Never thought I'd be happier to be moving. Well, actually, my family is helping Aster's family move in next door. Exciting, right? She and her family are using one of the four houses our combined families own. Even Haymitch has come over to help. And hey, he's not even drunk!

At the end of the day, I'm lying on Aster's bed, in the middle of her room, and she's lying on the other side of it. "Only five more months until the victory tour," I moan.

"Don't remind me."

"Aw, come on! It'll be an adventure!" I say grinning a bit.

"Trust me, It'll be the same adventure all over again."

Epilogue

Aster's POV

"9:00 a.m. tomorrow at your house, right?" I ask Storm. He's grown two and a half inches in the past four months, and it's almost time for us to go back for our Victory Tour. Yay. What fun.

"Right," he nods. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah," I yawn. "Tomorrow."

I wake up at eight and get ready for the day. It only takes me forty-five minutes, but I know Storm's up and ready, too.

"Going to Storm's, Mom!" I call to my mother, who is currently reading the paper.

"Mhm," she says, not looking up.

I sprint over to the big house right next-door. I rap my knuckles against the side door, and then I wait a second. Nothing. Wait a second.

"Storm?" I call as I knock again. Still nothing. Okay this is weird. He always opens the door the first time I knock. Oh well, I'll just grab the key they keep under the potted plant next to the door.

I turn the key in the lock and swing the door open wide to see – nothing there.

I run through the house just to make sure. Nothing is there. No furniture, no posters or decorations, and most of all, no people. It looks like they just packed up in the middle of the night and left. But he told me to meet him here tomorrow!

The Capital took him. That's the only explanation.

The Capital stole my best friend.

Dun dun duh! What happened to Storm? What about the Victory Tour? Look out for the sequel to All Over Again: A Hunger Games Story. PM me with your ideas about the next book. I'll try to include everything I get. Love you guys! Bye for now!

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